The present relates generally to the field of shower enclosures and, more particularly, to an adjustable, compressive mount for a shower curtain rod. The compressive mount is adapted to permit the shower curtain rod to conform to practically any footprint of a shower area of a manufactured or custom shower installation without the need to make holes in the walls to which the mount attaches.
In my U.S. Pat. No. 6,263,523, incorporated herein by reference, I described and taught a shower enclosure including a shower curtain rod which is shaped so that the bathroom is protected by draping the shower curtain in such a way that splashed water does not escape from the bath tub. The shower enclosure included an elongate arcuate rod having first and second spaced end portions, a pair of swivels, with one swivel at each of the end portions, and a pair of swivel-receiving wall mounts for mounting on opposing walls of the shower enclosure. In addition to retaining shower water within the enclosure, the elongate arcuate rod provides a much larger space for the one within the shower enclosure.
Preferably, the swivel-receiving wall mounts are to be secured to the walls of the shower enclosure by inserting screws through the mounts and into the walls of the shower enclosure. While the invention shown and claimed in my ""523 patent has proven to be very successful, sold under the trademark CRESCENT ROD(trademark), some folks who would really like to have the shower enclosure system of the ""523 patent are reluctant to insert the preferred screws into the walls of the shower enclosure, particularly if the walls are made of ceramic or other kinds of tile. Further, apartment dwellers are often restricted from making holes in the walls or simply wish to take the product with them when they move assuming they had purchased it for their own use.
This recognized need in the art led to the present invention. Thus, there remains a need for a shower curtain that is configured to create a natural drape of the curtain that conforms to the curving portion of the tub, altering the conventional location and angle at which the curtain meets the wall to minimize the gap between the shower curtain and the shower wall and render harmless any water that should escape the curtain. Further, the curtain rod system should be adapted to maintain its position above the tub without the need to secure the mount to the enclosure with screws or the like. Inherent with the arcuate shape of the rod are forces of torque and rotation that resist a stable horizontal plane while in use not present in a conventional straight rod and which forces are not overcome by existing compression rod mounts.
Further, a tub fixture today commonly comes in one of a number of standard sizes. This standard size tub is put in place, and then a wall structure is completed adjacent or around the tub, generally on two or three sides of the tub. As the wall structure is installed, it is customized to fit over the rim or outer edge of the tub, and may encroach more or less over the top surface of the tub. Thus, the longitudinal distance that the curtain rod must span varies, often varying over an inch or more. The present invention is specially adapted to account for such variations in the size of the enclosure, while providing a robust mount for the curtain rod.
The present invention addresses these and other shortcomings of the prior art by providing an adjustable, compressive mount for a shower curtain rod which is shaped so that the bathroom is protected by draping the shower curtain in such a way that splashed water does not escape from the bath tub. The shower curtain rod, as in my ""523 patent, includes straight end portions with an arcuate section between the end portions. The compressive mount fits neatly within the rod to maintain the esthetic appearance of the rod. A rotatable extension within the rod is moved in and out of the rod to alter the effective length of the rod. Extending the rod to fit within the enclosure provides a frictional fit against the opposing walls of the shower enclosure, without the need to place screws into the walls of the enclosure.
These and other features are described below, along with the accompanying drawings.